Macon Cowles asks colleagues, city staff to 'talk about what we can do'

By Sarah Kuta and Mitchell Byars, Camera Staff Writers

Posted:
06/30/2014 06:19:27 PM MDT

Updated:
07/01/2014 05:44:50 AM MDT

From left, John J., a man who identified himself only as Trouble and Crystal hang out near the path between Boulder High School and the intersection of Broadway and Arapahoe Avenue on Monday afternoon. Merchants in the area are asking the City Council to clean up the area. (Paul Aiken / Daily Camera)

As Boulder continues to grapple with homelessness, some merchants at Arapahoe Avenue and Broadway are urging the City Council to address an area behind their shops, where they say homeless people have been congregating and scaring away business.

Councilman Macon Cowles said Monday that store owners tell him the space, an area on the southeast corner of Broadway and Arapahoe, has been "taken over" by people, belongings, trash and unleashed dogs.

Cowles visited the spot Saturday and found wet clothes draped over a fence next to Boulder Creek, trash everywhere and people sleeping on the grass and sidewalk.

He sent a note to Boulder's city-run email list Monday with a photo he took of seemingly homeless people hanging out in the area.

"I encourage council members and staff to go to this area to become familiar with the conditions that give some people pause and put a lot of people on edge," Cowles wrote. "Then let's talk about what we can do."

Because of the conditions, Cowles said in an interview, people aren't using the sidewalk, and customers of nearby businesses are going elsewhere.

"It's a unique place to hang out," Cowles said. "There's Boulder Creek rushing by. This is a wonderful place and it's a place, actually, the city's invested a fair amount of money in. But, for the most part, people on the Hill aren't using that really neat path to get downtown because of their fear for their safety and what goes on there."

At midday Monday, about a dozen people — some with sleeping bags and large backpacks — were sitting under trees in a grassy area off the southeast corner of Arapahoe and Broadway.

They declined to be interviewed by a Daily Camera reporter.

Growing issue

Ryan Thompson, a manager at South Mouth, 1650 Broadway, said his business has had issues with homeless people being drunk in the store, taking showers in the bathroom and using drugs in the parking lot.

"Some of them are belligerent and obscene to the point of it getting bad for business," Thompson said. "It deters the customers."

Thompson also acknowledged that he isn't sure what the city can do to alleviate the problem. He has noticed that when shelters are available, there are fewer people hanging out behind the store, he said.

Dana Mielke, vice president of operations for Lewis Properties, which manages University Inn at 1632 Broadway, said she thinks more people are congregating in the area because Boulder implemented smoking bans on the Pearl Street Mall and the city's municipal campus, including Central Park.

She said University Inn has given several guests refunds because they felt unsafe or because the noise outside their room was too loud.

Rabbit Schwartz and Frank Stevens, bottom, hang out near the path between Boulder High School and the intersection of Broadway and Arapahoe Avenue on Monday afternoon. (Paul Aiken / Daily Camera)

"We're Boulderites," Mielke said. "We are sympathetic and empathetic to their situation. It's hard explaining that to people from out of state that see this going on and just want to get a good night's rest."

Madeline Wessel, manager of Massage Specialists at 1640 Broadway, said employees have called police two to three times each day so far this summer.

Wessel said there always have been "transient activities" in the area, but this year the group seems different.

"I never felt concerned for anyone's safety before, it was more of just a nuisance," she said. "Now there's visible drug dealing going on. I personally have witnessed assaults."

Wessel said police patrolling the area more regularly would go a long way.

"When the police do come by, the trash seems to get picked up, they make arrests, the open containers get thrown away," she said. "I understand it's a big resource, but there's a lot of criminal activity going on. "

Last week, employees at DP Dough at 1622 Broadway called for paramedics when they found a person passed out in the parking lot, said general manager Daniel DiMarchi.

"I try really hard to go out of my way and provide for people who are really struggling, because it's not an easy thing to do. But after people are just coming in and taking advantage of you and destroying things, there's a certain point where you have to say no."

'Homeless culture'

Mary Schnieders, a manager at Datu Health at 1590 Broadway, said employees there have had some issues with the homeless, but they have been minor.

Homeless people sometimes sleep in the parking lot, panhandle nearby or don't keep their dogs on leashes, she said. None of the incidents have been violent.

"As long as they continue to be harmless, it is just part of the homeless culture," she said. "We don't want to say kick all of the homeless out. At the same time, it is not ideal."

Though the area is near Boulder High School, Boulder Valley School District spokesman Briggs Gamblin said students have not reported any issues.

"We understand and the students understand the neighborhood," he said. "They like the neighborhood and they like the uniqueness of the neighborhood, but that doesn't mean there aren't challenges."

The council, which has taken a number of steps in recent months to address homeless issues and "social misbehavior" in downtown Boulder, is holding a study session on Boulder's 10-year plan to end homelessness on Aug. 26.

"We need to take action on it," Cowles said. "The conditions are intolerable in some places that people really enjoy in town."

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